


Check

by ssa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-12-24
Updated: 2001-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-01 07:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/353604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys talk over chess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Check

## Check

by canadian snoopy

[]()

* * *

Title: Check  
Author: canadian_snoopy ^_^  
Category: fluff trying to be drama with a dollop of angst; it's also Clark/Lex (preslash)  
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual innuendo and language. _shrugs_ It's Lex;  you wanna tell him to think clean thoughts when Clark's around?  
Summary: The boys talk over chess.  
Archive: ClarkLexFic; anywhere else, let me know.  
Spoilers: A tiny one for Metamorphosis and the Pilot... so tiny in fact that if you blink, you'll miss it.  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me; they belong to the all powerful Frog, whom I know better than to mess with. Only the story, which is the product of too much time spent reading other people's 'fics and a high caffeine intake, belongs to me.  
Author's Note: Special thanks to Anathema for reading this over before public consumption and pointing out the stinky parts; your honesty and comments are greatly appreciated. Dedicated to you... and to my family, for putting up with the extended computer time; happy holidays people! On a personal note, I feel I should comment that I have yet to see a fandom where the slashiness of the main characters is as blatant as this one; that is my only excuse.  
Feedback: canadiansnoopy@yahoo.ca .... any feedback, either positive or negative, will be appreciated; particularly, concerning the voices of Clark and Lex. They're not nearly as hard to write as I thought... writing them well, on the other hand, is another story _grin_. It will also cause me to build several shrines in your honour. 

* * *

"Despite the inherent danger of sounding like a dork, I gotta say Lex: you've got the coolest toys." 

Lex smirked, watching as Clark inspected the chess piece -- the rook, it seemed -- in his hands. "Very dorky," Lex admitted, seeing the rueful spread of colour along Clark's face before shrugging, taking pity on the embarrassed teen. "One of the perks of being a Luthor, Clark." 

Clark tossed him an unguarded grin, the colour receding to normal levels and Lex found himself returning the gesture before he even realized. 

"I dunno," Clark begun, carefully replacing the piece before picking up one of the kings. "Your cars are pretty nice too." 

"What colour do you want?" Lex asked, raising an eyebrow at Clark's groan. "What? I was just--" 

"You're trying to kill me. I know you are," Clark grumbled, sending Lex a dark look that would have been much more threatening if it weren't for the grin that was trying to express itself on Clark's face. "It took depths I didn't know I had to return the truck. I think that a Ferrari would require more than I could give." 

Lex grinned again, inordinarily pleased that returning the truck hadn't been nearly as easy for Clark to do as he had made it seem. "Here I thought you were all about will power." 

Clark snorted. "Will power, nothing. A Ferrari is an act of  God." 

"And who are you to stand in the way of God?" 

Clark grinned and nodded. "Exactly." Lex watched as Clark suddenly squinted and brought the piece closer to his eyes before a burst of laughter escaped his lips. 

Lex, having expected that reaction, pushed himself out of his chair and walked up to the laughing teenager. "Yeah, I thought you'd find that funny." 

More laughter bubbled from Clark, encompassing Lex and leaving a warm spot near his heart. Clark shook his head and grinned, lightly fingering the edges of the chess piece in his hands. "The imagery is pretty obvious, Lex. A bald king?" he asked, going for the questioning raised eyebrow but managing only a barely restrained grin. 

"My imagery is nothing if not blatant, Clark," Lex said dryly. 

"I'll say. I'm almost afraid to guess who the other king is supposed to be." 

"I'd bet good money that you can guess in one try." 

Clark shook his head and admitted, "I saw before but I thought that it was just a coincidence." 

"I had it made just last week," Lex admitted, coming around to sit on the other side and watching as Clark chuckled again at the piece in his hand before putting it down. "I'm thinking of getting another one made and giving it to Dad for Christmas." 

Clark raised his eyes to Lex's and he had the distinct impression that Clark was sorting through what he thought were appropriate responses. "I suppose that's one thing to give the man who has everything," Clark finally commented. 

Lex snorted and leaned back against his chair. "What I want to give him would probably get me disinherited." 

Clark grinned, comfortable again, and folded his legs in order to sit in the chair opposite Lex. "You could always come and move in with us." 

Lex rolled his eyes. "Now there's a Christmas present for dear ol' Papa Kent: a Luthor." 

"The one gift that keeps on giving." 

Lex looked up sharply but Clark just smiled, all but exuding innocence. "Taking snark lessons from Chloe again, are we?" 

And Clark laughed again and the warm spot grew, which got Lex to smile back before he realized and he tore his eyes away from Clark and pinned them on the board instead. The board was safer. The board wouldn't get him landed in jail or tangled up in emotions he just wasn't interested in exploring. "Do you know how to play?" 

"Not all that well." 

Lex, having expected 'no', looked up, surprised despite himself. 

And Clark noticed. "Yes Lex, we have a chess board at home. We also have a TV, a stereo, toilet paper--" 

"OK Clark--" 

"--even indoor plumbing!" 

"All right Clark! I get it!" Lex put up his hands in surrender. "Kent Farms is a modern paradise." 

Clark's lips twitched but he nodded, a mock serious expression on his face. 

"So...now that we have settled the question of your family's honour, are you interested in a game?" 

Clark glanced down at the board and met Lex's eyes again before nodding. "Just don't expect great things from me. I've only played with my mom." He grinned and added, "And I'm not entirely sure that she doesn't let me win sometimes." 

Lex smirked. "I'll try to go easy on you." 

That caused Clark to stiffen involuntarily in his chair, the competitive look in his eyes increasing despite his realization that Lex was just teasing him. "No need to bother, Lex. I can handle myself without you taking it easy on me." 

"I dunno, Kent. I've been playing this game since I could reach the pieces." 

Clark's eyes narrowed and Lex grinned further. Clark was a competitive soul. "I'm liking you less and less, you know." 

And Lex laughed, unable to control himself despite the years of practice he'd had at controlling every nuance of his expressions. It seemed that everything he learned about Clark had the bizarre effect of teaching him some new things about himself as well. "That's a fairly common reaction to a Luthor, Clark." 

Clark snorted and turned the chess set so that the gray pieces, the ones that had Lex as a king, were in front of Lex. This caused Lex to raise an eyebrow. 

"You're willing to be Lionel?" 

Clark made a strangled sound, a half laugh and half cough that caused him to send Lex a dirty look. "Don't ever say I don't do anything for you." 

"Wouldn't think of it." 

And in another world, Clark Kent would have given him the finger, but Lex settled for the dirty look and the reminder that farmboys had manners that most people would envy. He also reminded himself that said farmboy was trying to be friendly, for God's sakes, and to stop eyeing Kent as if he were a piece of meat and Lex were in need of nourishment. To Lex's relief, if Clark noticed, he didn't say anything. 

Grasping at a topic change as soon as one popped into his head, Lex commented, "You never did tell me what went wrong with Lana and her necklace, you know." 

Clark grunted once and moved his piece, leaning back to run a hand through his hair. "I returned it, she didn't know I returned it, end of story." 

Lex nodded, having his own suspicions confirmed as soon as Clark spoke. "You're too much of a boy scout, you know that?" he said, moving his pawn forward and looking up to meet Clark's eyes. 

"Next you're going to be telling me that nice guys finish last and all that crap." 

Lex noted the faintly bitter tone in Clark's voice and was curious despite himself. "Sounds like you've been telling yourself that, Kent." 

Clark snorted and examined the board briefly before moving his bishop. "I'm starting to think that the truth just isn't my friend." 

Lex had to laugh, couldn't help himself after hearing the self-mocking tone in Clark's voice. Clark looked up and grinned too, pleased at Lex's laughter and showing it. "Here I thought that everything worked out for the hero of this story." 

"I'll let you know when that happens. At the rate I'm going, I'll be too old and gray to enjoy when it does." 

Lex shook his head, watching Clark under lowered eyelashes, seeing the teenager idly scratch beneath his ear. "More's the pity. Lana doesn't know what she's missing." 

Lex watched as Clark looked up, surprise and embarrassment colouring his expression, clear as day. "So not only do good guys finish last, but she doesn't know what she's missing?" Clark asked, still tinted red but smiling. "The cliches are just falling from your lips today, huh?" 

"I have not yet begun to fight," Lex admitted, grinning when Clark laughed again. 

"I'm thinking that this is all a big distraction in order to make me lose." 

Lex snorted. "I don't need to resort to that." Lex moved his bishop. "Check." 

Clark muttered under his breath and moved his king out of the way, sacrificing a pawn but moving out of the line of fire. "You're doing it on purpose, I know you are." 

"Oh please." Lex moved his bishop, watched as Clark took one of his knights and then moved again. "What makes you think I'm so evil?" 

Clark's incredulous glance spoke more eloquently than he could have possibly otherwise. 

"OK, stupid question," Lex admitted. 

"Hmm." Clark examined his newly collected knight and frowned, peering closely before gasping quietly. "Lex, is this--?" 

"Yeah." Lex shrugged, abashed and pleased that Clark had noticed. Lex saw Clark turn red again, embarrassed and delighted in equal measures. 

"Wow Lex. Just... wow. I've never been immortalized in marble before." 

Lex had to fight the urge to say something that could quite possibly end up with him serving a jail sentence and shrugged, shifting in his seat and colouring faintly under the intense expression that Clark was sending his way. 

"Wow," he repeated quietly, examining the tiny Clark figure in his hands before shaking his head in disbelief. "That is quite possibly the coolest thing anyone's ever done involving me." Clark laughed. "God, now I sound like a bigger dork than before." 

Lex shrugged, thankful for the exit. "I won't tell if you won't." 

And Clark grinned, giving him that smile that could make the warm spot inside grow exponentially and Lex felt his mouth stretch in an answering grin. Clark shook his head and returned his attention to the game, thinking for a few seconds before exclaiming, "Pay attention to the board, Mr. Luthor." Suddenly boastful, Clark moved his own knight into position. "Check," Clark declared, sending Lex a tiny but pleased smirk. 

"You better pay attention as well, Mr. Kent. Check...mate." Lex moved his queen, seemingly out of nowhere and knocked the tiny Lionel Luthor over. The imagery pleased him but struck Lex as too Freudian to analyze in depth. 

Clark blinked and tilted his head to the one side. Lex heard the whispered, "Shit," and grinned. 

"I warned you. Didn't I warn you?" 

"Oh, shut up." 

Lex smirked. "Sore loser, are we? Not liking the sour grapes?" 

And this time Clark did give him the finger and Lex had to laugh, had to laugh at the world where beautiful, gorgeous farmboys didn't get who they wanted and played chess instead and made cynics laugh. 

"Best two out of three." 

Lex met Clark's eyes and grinned. "You think you can take me?" 

Lex saw something shift in Clark's eyes, something old and knowing and God, how did a farmboy from Kansas get that look in his eyes...hungry and naked and-- 

"Yeah, I can take you." Clark's gaze met his and never wavered, steady heat and connection that caused a slightly feral smile to cross Lex's lips. Lex felt a shiver run up his spine and he grinned as he watched the reaction register with Clark, his eyes reflecting the realization and the desire, all laid out for Lex to see. 

Wondering if he was conceding defeat, Lex looked down and set up his pieces on the board, watching under lowered eyelashes as, after a pause, Clark did the same. How had he ever forgotten that sometimes the best things came wrapped in innocent packages? 

* * *

Fin 


End file.
